#on writing?

[grollow]

I have a question, how does writing stories work exactly? Like do you just picture what you want to happen and think of the right words to describe it? It seems so confusing and illogical to me but your writing is fantastic so i presume you'd understand how it happens

This ask is at once the most flattering thing that I have received in ages and also the hardest question in the world to answer. Part of me is manifesting Grimm's skitter ability to scuttle away. :'D

This is long so I am gonna tuck it under a Read More.

Creativity is different for everyone and how we go about it is also different. Some people have ideas for scenes (sometimes mental pictures, sometimes it's just a quote or a single sentence -- it varies), plan out the specific scenes they want, and then work to connect them together with story. Other people have a clear vision of their plot from the get-go and then just let it go.

Writing is an art form like any other and what works for one person may not work for others. Typically the best way to learn how to do it is just. To open a document and start typing. It sounds cliche but that's really just how it goes. You start typing and eventually get an idea of where you're going, or you end up with 900 started-but-not-finished WIPs, and both are legitimately fine.

In my specific case, my writing process typically consists of having [1] specific scene pop into my head, that I go "I want to write an entire story around this scene." I build around it. For my narratively-driven fics (such as Eyes, Butterfly Effect to a lesser degree, White and Gray and Red Sky), I outline super, super heavily, and I don't even start the fic until I know how I plan to end it because otherwise I'm going to go all over the place with it.

For my less narratively written stuff (Living Dead, Gently), I usually have bullet points of things I want to accomplish and then just. Write until i get there. I find that those stories tend to be a little more organic but also a little more rambly, less cohesive (but not necessarily in a bad way, I also think they are 'lighter' to read).

I have journals upon journals of things like:

Random quotes that I want to use in different fics (I get quote ideas/dialogue stuff a lot, especially for Red Sky)

Mental pictures that I like (I have been doodling more to try and give new ideas)

Setting + location ideas (this is applicable to original works and red sky mostly but still)

On PC I have docs that are called: Outlining BS, Random Snippets, "God Grimm do you ever shut up" (does he?), Everything Burns Setting, and some others. That are just. Stuff I shoved somewhere to help for inspiration.

Anyway, this turned out really long, so the TLDR:

Sometimes it's mental pictures. Sometimes its dialogue.

If you want to write, anon, just open a doc and start writing. It may not be something you like but you will only improve with practice, like any other art form.

I hope this rambly nonsense makes sense. Your compliments are really appreciated and I am grateful for them. ;w; Thank you!

[pierog]

i'm so glad goncharov happened when it did, right before prolific public use of AI. that was pure honest gaslighting straight from the heart. real human whimsicality and trickery thru blood sweat and tears. we were a family. and we all gonched, together. you cant replicate that with any machine.

[animentality]

[blueboxbeagle]

By LabradoriteKing on Pinterest

[sourdough-seal]

“omg you’re so creative. how do you get your ideas” i hallucinate a single scene in the taco bell drive thru and then spend 13 months trying to write it

[out-of-jams]

REVERSE TROPE WRITING PROMPTS

Too many beds

Accidentally kidnapping a mafia boss

Really nice guy who hates only you

Academic rivals except it’s two teachers who compete to have the best class

Divorce of convenience

Too much communication

True hate’s kiss (only kissing your enemy can break a curse)

Dating your enemy’s sibling

Lovers to enemies

Hate at first sight

Love triangle where the two love interests get together instead

Fake amnesia

Soulmates who are fated to kill each other

Strangers to enemies

Instead of fake dating, everyone is convinced that you aren’t actually dating

Too hot to cuddle

Love interest CEO is a himbo/bimbo who runs their company into the ground

Nursing home au

[cityelf]

this poem is about being nonbinary.

[ad-wills]

[spider-artdump]

[writing-prompt-s]

Two lovers have reincarnated throughout history, destined to find each other and fall in love all over again. There’s also this third guy that reincarnates alongside them… we don’t really know what he does.

[roach-works]

speculative fiction writers i am going to give you a really urgent piece of advice: don't say numbers. don't give your readers any numbers. how heavy is the sword? lots. how old is that city? plenty. how big is the fort? massive. how fast is the spaceship? not very, it's secondhand.

the minute you say a number your readers can check your math and you cannot do math better than your most autistic critic. i guarantee. don't let your readers do any math. when did something happen? awhile ago. how many bullets can that gun fire? trick question, it shoots lasers, and it shoots em HARD.

you are lying to people for fun. if you let them do math at you the lie collapses and it's no fun anymore.

[faeriekit]

"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

[write-on-world]

[inkskinned]

please i love you i'm begging you bring back suspension of disbelief bring back trusting the audience like. i cannot handle any more dialogue that sounds like a legal document. "hello, i am here to talk to you about the incident from a few minutes ago, because i feel you might be unwell, and i am invested in your personal wellbeing." "thank you, i am unwell because the incident was hurtful to me due to my childhood, which was bad." I CANT!!!!

do you know how many people are mad that authors use "growled" as a word for "said"? it's just poetics! they do not literally mean "growled," it's just a common replacement for "said with force but in a low tone." it's normal! do you hear me!! help me i love you please let me out of here!!!

[derrypubliclibrary]

the fanfiction in my head is soooo good wish you guys could see this

[meluiloth]

Since the whole thing with NaNoWriMo has gone down, I've noticed that one of their former sponsors, Ellipsus, has cut contact with NaNoWriMo because they do not support their stance on AI; I didn't know what Ellipsus was, but upon further research I've found that they are a writing platform that works a lot like Google Docs and Microsoft Word, only with a heavier leaning on the story-writing aspect and connecting with other writers - and they also completely denounce any use of AI, both in the writing process itself and in the use of their platform. I really appreciate that.

Since this is the case (and since I've noticed Google has begun implementing more AI into their software), I've decided to give Ellipsus a try to see if it's a good alternative to Google Docs (my main writing platform). It's completely free and so far, I've found it simple to use (although it is pretty minimal in its features), and I really like the look of it.

I figured I'd spread the word about this platform in case any of you writers would want to give it a try, and if you do, let me know how you like it!